The Heat (CD - 2007)

Personnel: Bear Rinehart (vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano, organ); Peggy Ward, Mark Ward (vocals); Bo Rinehart (guitar, synthesizer, background vocals); Jim Gailloreto (saxophone); Tom Garling (trombone); Joe Stillwell (drums, percussion, background vocals); Seth Bolt (programming, background vocals); Will Hunt (programming).

Additional personnel: Set Free Christian Fellowship Choir (vocals); Anthony J. Resta (guitars); Terry Connell (trumpet); Aaron Bowen (electric piano); Jim Gailloreto, Tom Garling, Will Hunt.

Audio Mixer: Richard Chycki.

Photographer: Danny Rankin.

The sophomore album from CCM rock group Needtobreathe boasts even more authority and sharper songcraft than their impressive 2006 debut. There's not much tampering with the band's straightforward pop/rock formula, but why should there be? THE HEAT is full of catchy hooks, guitar-driven rock, and choruses tailor-made for stadium-sized revival singalongs--the lead off single, "Signature of Divine (Yaweh)," is a case in point. THE HEAT is full of accessible, melodic rock that balances between alternative rock and adult alternative pop with just the right amount of grit and polish.

Let's just say the boys from South Carolina didn't exactly scrap their plans to conquer the world after their critically acclaimed 2006 debut. The band's sweeping, arena-friendly alternative rock returns on this ambitious follow-up record. In the short year since Daylight's release, the band could be heard on television (The Evidence, MTV's Laguna Beach), movies (Employee of the Month), and at major sporting events (the 2006 World Series). They also toured with Train and Collective Soul, the latter of whose frontman Ed Roland shares producing credits on the album with Rick Beato (Shinedown). Whether deliberately or not, there seems to be a distinct likeness to both of their tourmates' sounds. Needtobreathe combines Train's mastery of mid-tempo adult alternative with Collective Soul's pulsing, straightforward rock. The group dwells less in the Coldplay/Travis corner of the sonic universe this time, sounding more like After Edmund and early-career Oasis. There is no runaway single like "Shine On," although first single "Signature of Divine (Yahweh)" has its share of rich, sweeping gusto. Now that the cat's out of the bag (i.e. their sound no longer commands an aura of mystery and intrigue), the boys seem to have lost just a touch of their pioneering spirit. But that cannot distract from the album's strong, approachable rock that plays best when cranked to a "10." ~ Jared Johnson minimize